Bring Me Back to Life
by Claire Starling
Summary: With the help of Evanescence, I have written my take on the episode: The Gift


Disclaimer: The character's of Buffy do not belong to me. Niether does the Evanescence song "Bring Me Back to Life" featured in this fic.  
  
BRING ME BACK TO LIFE  
  
How can you see into my eyes  
  
Like open doors  
  
Leading you down into my core  
  
Where I become so numb  
  
Dawn screamed as the skin was broken by Doc's knife.  
  
"Shallow cuts… shallow cuts…"  
  
Dawn glared at him. The pain was searing but she ignored it. This man was watching her, wanting her to cry. She had screamed originally because of the shock, but now her mouth stayed shut.  
  
"Shouldn't you be praying, Key?" He asked.  
  
"Shouldn't you be praying? When Buffy gets up here, you are going to be introduced to a whole new world of pain."  
  
Dawn forced her body to be numb. She knew that she was bleeding. That it was already too late. That she had to die.  
  
Without a soul  
  
My spirits sleeping somewhere  
  
Cold  
  
Until you find it there and lead it back  
  
Home  
  
Buffy still fought with Glory. The god was dodging her blows and giving the slayer her own. When Buffy heard the scream, she got distracted. Glory ripped the hammer from her hands and hit her with it.  
  
Spike was torn between helping Buffy and helping Dawn. However, when he heard Dawn's scream, his mind was made up. Racing up the stairs, his unbeating heart shuttered. For the first time in a long time, he prayed to God. He only hoped he wasn't too late.  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
  
Bid my blood to run  
  
Before I come undone  
  
Save me from the nothing I've become  
  
Dawn held her breath as the blood leaked between her toes and hit the air, suspended. The portal opened and Dawn's eyes shut as Doc laughed in triumph.  
  
Spike's eyes widened at the appearance of the portal and called out her name.  
  
"Dawn!"  
  
Dawn's eyes flew open. "Spike?" she whispered.  
  
With newborn hope, she struggled. It was too late, they all knew. But she had to stop this now. She was nothing now. She had opened the doors. There was no use for her. No use. She was nothing. From the look on Doc's face she knew she was nothing. He turned to leave the tower. But couldn't.  
  
Now that I know what I'm without  
  
You can't just leave me  
  
Breathe into me  
  
And make me real  
  
Bring me… to life  
  
Doc turned and smirked.  
  
"This should be intrest-." Doc never got to finish as he was tossed off the tower.  
  
Spike quickly undid her binds hushing her, "S'okay bit, nothing's wrong. I'm here, now. You're safe now."  
  
"Spike…" she whispered.  
  
Was this even real? She wasn't real. It wasn't real. This isn't real. She was as good as dead. She needed to jump.  
  
"I have to go…" she whispered.  
  
A fear glimmered in Spike's eyes. "No."  
  
"Spike… I'm not even real. This is what I was meant to do. I need to jump-!"  
  
Spike interrupted her. "What if I need you?"  
  
They both froze in shock before Spike kissed her.  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
  
Bid my blood to run  
  
Before I come undone  
  
Save me from the nothing I've become  
  
This time, Glory was distracted. As the portal opened, her hopes and dreams bloomed. Only to be crushed as Buffy started to beat the crap out of her. Because the implication that crashed down on her was crushing her. Dawn was going to die.  
  
The Scoobie's all looked up, watching- waiting.  
  
Xander clutched at Anya in disbelief. Willow prayed. Tara cried.  
  
Spike and Dawn broke apart. "Spike… I have to…"  
  
Frozen…  
  
Inside without your touch  
  
Without your love, darling  
  
Only you  
  
Are the life among the dead  
  
Dawn wanted this to be forever. She closed her eyes and implanted this in her memory.   
  
"Spike…"  
  
Her bright blue eyes bore into his. She wanted to stay, she really did… but it wasn't safe. Not for him. She brought his hand to her cheek and kissed his palm.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Then she leaned back.  
  
All of this night  
  
I couldn't see  
  
Kept in the dark  
  
But you were there in front of me  
  
Spike grabbed her arm as she fell over. He held onto her.   
  
"No!" he cried, grasping her arm. "You can't do this. I love you!"  
  
Why had it taken him so long to see this?   
  
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems  
  
Got to open my eyes to everything  
  
Everything that has ever happened flashed before her. Everything. Before her, the millions of years she lived as the Key. And life as it would have been, should have been without her.   
  
Her eyes were open wide. She saw Spike for the first time and grasped onto his hands. Defying gravity, she caressed his cheek. She was real now… to him… he made her real.  
  
Without thought  
  
Without a voice  
  
Without a soul  
  
He couldn't think. He couldn't speak. All there was is Dawn. All there would ever be is Dawn. How could he have loved her without a soul? How could his love be this pure if he was soulless?  
  
Don't let me die here  
  
"Live for me, Spike…" Dawn said as things came out of the portal. "Don't let me die… let me live within you… forever…"  
  
There must be something wrong  
  
"Dawn, no… I want you here…"  
  
"And I want you here."  
  
She paused.  
  
"If you love me, Spike… take care of her."  
  
Spike nodded.  
  
And time froze.  
  
Bring me to life…  
  
He let go.  
  
The Scoobie's watched as the portal crackled, suddenly. They awaited the worst.  
  
Buffy stared up and let loose a strangled cry. She already knew.  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
Wake me up inside   
  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
  
Bid my blood to run  
  
Before I come undone  
  
Save me from the nothing I've become  
  
Bring me to life…  
  
Dawn flew. She fell with such grace. When she hit the portal, it was like she had fallen into a cold fire. It shocked her at first, but then it felt good. Spike… Buffy… Spike… Mom….  
  
She was alive. She wasn't nothing to them.  
  
I've been living a lie…  
  
There's nothing inside  
  
Spike cried out as he watched her wreath before she was still in the air. And inhuman cry of rage left him as he watched her.  
  
Bring me…  
  
The portal closed  
  
…To life  
  
Everyone watched as the lifeless body of a girl they once knew and loved fell to the Earth.  
  
Bring me to life.  
  
When they gathered, she was dead. But a smile was on her face… she looked as if she was asleep. Yes, they thought, like she had been last night.   
  
Spike looked down at Dawn. He was a mess.  
  
Buffy looked down at Dawn. She was lost.  
  
Dawn looked down at them. She was alive.  
  
And waiting.  
  
DAWN EVE SUMMERS  
  
1986 - 2001  
  
BELOVED SISTER  
  
DEVOTED FRIEND  
  
The light among the dark  
  
Dawn waited, silently. As much as she enjoyed heaven, she never got comfortable. She knew that Willow had stumbled across the resurrection spell and took one look at Buffy. So she waiting, patiently.  
  
… It was really only a matter of time. 


End file.
